An Australian Lassie

d Nancy. Behind them were all the trials and vexations of the day,

spoke. For that small hope of the Bruces had in the cloak-room inadvertently trodden upon Br

dly. "He shouldn't have gone abo

ily lunch-basket that she carried, boy-like, swung over her shoulder, and she covered

dangerous little coral islands this time. I

don't like curral islands

ily. "We've got to find

at to mother, just think of all we could do. It wouldn't matter then grandfather not speaki

ll lassie, following at a trot. "Don't want to be you

eclared Elizabeth, and leapt forward so far that

oringly. "Oh, Peter Lucky, let

be my chum-don't be such a stupid Nancy-er-Polly. He's got to try to murder me in the middle of the night to

s herself. But the indignity she feared most was to be told to go home and play with the

"I'll love to be your wife. I was only thinking

e well now-cook the dinner, and wash up, and all that. If yo

challenges of who dared to walk the furthest distance up the drive. Betty had once advanced just beyond that mysterious bend, but she had scudd

home, followed breathlessly by the others who were afraid even to look over their shoulders. "He's set the emus l

m their grandfather's gates for the two elder ones. It was only Nancy who

e was nobody about, and swing off again with her long pole. "Nobody

into view and the row of tall pines that stood like grim sentinels between the two-rail fence and the sweet-scented garden. A small wicket g

ed into the bush again, and the dog shook off h

ful realm of play and fancy. Moreover, his anticipations were always aroused when Elizabeth changed her habit, and he had seen in the twinkling

k ran. The widest end of it ran into their grandfather's grounds, and had at one time in its career broken down the two

unaware of this creek, but that some one would tell him soon,

ding a fishing-line in his hands, was John Brown. The three stared at him for a minute in speec

ly recollection in his mind of the big hand that

wallow her indignation an

she said. "This was o

Brown, "it'

ty shrilly; "it belongs to

Brown

r," he said, "it belon

aid in a shocked voice, then turning to the uneasy Cyril, "Hit him, Cyril!" she s

ohn Brown, and a feeling of anger was beginning to stir in his sm

hat's the good of having a

ace red with anger towards the fisher.

il a good distance in the rear; and angry-faced

e poaching on my grandfather's property. You can come as far

the air-many yards distan

"There are plenty more s

d with even worse results. She never

said Brown, l

sh him," begged Be

hasn't the pluck

d Betty, using her favour

owhere in sight, and Nancy was scudding away, lik

ll voice-it belonged to golden ha

Brown, winding up a

ook aim at a distant wattle in sheer de

mation from him, and brought him

nd ran-ran as though her grandfath

yril, who was throwing stones in the a

e gasped. "

wn the track an

I'll give him what for. I'd just like to see him touch

Brown a

trutted towards the track through the bu

f any one," he said.

. A mane of golden hair hung down her back and some of it lay

mind baby. And oh, you naughty girl, you've got your